By Julia Schroeder
Big Buzz Idea Group
Marketing & Nonprofit Account Coordinator
Have you ever heard someone say that they are “running low on spoons?” They may have been referring to the Spoon Theory, which is a visualization tool for managing energy and time effectively. As a leader in the nonprofit space, you can consider the Spoon Theory to support your efforts that enhance the organization.
What is the Spoon Theory?
The Spoon Theory was created by Christine Miserandino to explain her experience living with a chronic illness. Spoons can be a helpful tool for individuals to gauge their available energy, especially those with chronic illnesses or mental health conditions who may have limited energetic reserves.
The Spoon Theory is an approach to be more mindful of your own energy levels while also holding compassion for those you work with or may come across on the street. Each person has varying amounts of spoons. One cannot always control their spoon quantity but can learn how to keep track of them.
At the beginning of the day, you start with a set of spoons. A good chunk of spoons may go toward taking care of children, family obligations, or tending to a chronic illness. Depending on what is happening in your personal life on a given day, you may have fewer spoons to bring to work and to use toward your organization’s mission.
Applying the Spoon Theory to Your Nonprofit
If you serve a nonprofit, each spoon represents a task or duty required of you to help the organization run smoothly and efficiently. There are a limited number of spoons that are allotted to work with every day and every week. So how can you make the most out of the spoons you have for the day? With practice, you can learn to be aware of how much mental or physical energy one task can take as compared to another.
Whether you prefer a written to-do list or rely on your Outlook calendar, it can be helpful to visualize or write down the tasks you need to do. Think about how many spoons those tasks will take. Based on how many spoons you have and how many spoons those tasks require, you can determine what is realistic to accomplish that day. It may take one spoon to send an email and several more spoons to set the budget for a fundraising event. How many spoons could a 30-minute meeting take as compared to a 60-minute meeting?
Some days you have fewer spoons to work with, and that’s okay. Because there will be other days when you have more spoons. The balancing act is an art of distinguishment, perseverance, and acceptance.
Burnout and overwhelm can be the result of pushing yourself beyond the number of spoons you have. No one can show up and run a nonprofit organization as their best self if they are out of spoons.
Similarly, energy levels are often compared to a battery meter or a glass that needs to be refilled so we can pour onto others. When your glass is full, you can have a much greater impact on the communities you serve.
When you think about what uses up your spoons, on the flipside, what are some things you can do to fill your own cup? Drinking water, getting an extra hour of sleep, and going for a walk are some examples.
As a nonprofit leader, the way you lead your own life is just as important as the way you lead the mission forward. As you honor your needs while honoring the needs of the organization, the services you provide will flourish. Recognize what is possible for you today and how that ebbs and flows.
Remember that every spoon needs a rest. Take time to step away from the load so you are not hastily washing the dirty spoons just to keep up. How many spoons do you have currently and how will you use them to make a positive impact today?
